Arcades may not mean as much to Millenials and all those born after the year 2000. They do, however, bring back memories to older generations that didn’t have the luxury of playing video games in their living rooms whenever they want. Instead, they had to ask their parents for some coins and head to the closest arcade.
Today, the arcade gaming scene looks a lot different than it used to, but players can still enjoy some classics, such as Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Crazy Climbers, and others. To see what has changed, we need to go as far back as the 1940s. So, buckle up and enjoy the ride on our time machine.
How It All Started
Although many arcade enthusiasts credit Atari for creating the first arcade games, that’s not really the case. Atari does stand behind some of the most popular video games of all time, but coin-based amusement machines have a bit longer history than that.
That history started the day three American businessmen decided to create coin-operated amusement machines for US military bases. The company they founded was based in Hawaii and was, at first, known as Standard Games. As it moved to Japan in 1952, it changed its name to Service Games of Japan. Later on, it merged with Rosen Enterprises, and that’s how Sega Enterprises came to be. Sega Enterprises or simply Sega is a company that has produced several multimillion-selling game franchises, including Yakuza, Total War, and everyone’s favorite Sonic the Hedgehog.
Atari and the Golden Age of Arcade Games
If you’re into arcade games, you most certainly know at least a few titles by Atari. The iconic name in the gaming industry started its journey thanks to game developer Nolan Bushnell. When Bushnell founded the company in 1972, little did he know that he would open the doors into the golden age of gaming. The golden age of arcade games spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, as that’s the time when these games experienced rapid growth in popularity and had the most significant cultural influence.
One of the industry’s pioneers was Pong, a table tennis-themed arcade video game. Pong is historically significant as one of the first commercially successful video games that helped establish the video game industry. These days, Atari’s game library features more than 200 exciting titles, including the classics and some newly developed games. Some of the greatest Atari games of all time are Demon Attack, Space Invaders, Missile Command, and Asteroids.
Where Are We Now?
The emergence of home video gaming consoles marked the turning point for arcade games – they started declining in population. Today, gamers have access to all sorts of video games thanks to their PS and Xbox consoles. Apart from that, they can also enjoy numerous online casino games that these days often feature high-end, fancy graphics. (A word of caution – no matter your preference, always protect your assets to ensure you enjoy every step of the way and avoid unanticipated losses.)
Although things have changed, arcade games are still there. Most classic arcade games have been adapted for mobile use, and you can easily download them to your Android or iOS device and play them on the go.